Around A Snowy Campfire, A Ghost Story
by Kiba Sniper
Summary: As she walks down a snowy path, Milla overhears something from strange coming from the campfire area and investigates.


this was my piece for pfeldspar over on tumblr for the psychonauts secret santa i held! she asked for some clem & crystal and bobby & chloe friendship with the prompt of the kids sitting around telling ghost stories, so i meshed that in with a hint of sasha/milla with milla being the one to tell them a story!

Around A Snowy Campfire, A Ghost Story

It was rare for Whispering Rock to hold winter sessions, but there had been enough applicants for it to happen. Even though half of the original roster chose to stay home for their school breaks, the other half returned for two weeks of additional training. There were also new campers, mostly Tender Brains who recently discovered their powers and were currently running around and playing in heavy jackets and boots.

Milla Vodello was more than delighted to teach during the winter. It gave her an opportunity to relax after several chaotic missions over the past couple months. Helping cadets learn levitation gave her the perfect opportunity to groove in her mind, carefree and happy with her darling children as they bounced around in her mental party.

But today was a free day, No classes were scheduled, allowing the counselors and cadets to do whatever they wanted. Milla decided to take a walk and explore the winter wonderland that was Whispering Rock. Dressed in her deep vermilion coat, black leggings, and white boots, she trekked along the snow covered paths and took in the sights of bare pine and redwood trees as far as she could see. She came across a few slumbering bears in their caves, rather surprised to discover Mikhail sleeping underneath one of their arms and realized it was best to not disturb him when one of the bears opened its eye to leer at her.

Along the way, she passed Tender Brains making snowmen, and Psychic Scouts having snowball fights. Franke and Kitty made snow angels together, giggling at the top of their lungs. Chops and JT dashed by her on a rickety sled and greeted her before they vanished down a hill. She winced at the subsequent crashing sound but chuckled when their laughter reached her ears, Kitty also threatening to sue them for ruining her snow angel.

Overall, it was another raucous day at camp. The laughter of her precious kids, the snow fluttering down from the sky, the perfectly white clouds covering every inch of space in the sky, it was like paradise. Nothing could have interrupted such a calm, peaceful day.

"Aw, Bobby, all girls have a grimoire!"

"Uh, they do?"

Milla's heel crunched through the snow. Staring ahead, she straightened her back as Crystal's eager voice and Bobby's disbelief echoed behind her. Slowly looking over her shoulder, she spotted the path leading up to the campfire area and knew that whatever was happening over there was probably not very good. And as she hurried over, their conversation made her concern grow considerably.

"You mean all earthling girls have a grimoire. It isn't good to assume that I would have one, considering I'm not a human."

"Oh, stupid me! You're right! I'm so, so sorry, Chloe!"

"Yeah, don't make that mistake again, Snagrash, or I'll-"

"No, Bobby."

"Hey, it's okay, Crystal! We all make mistakes. I mean, Chloe's making a big one right now by insisting she's still an alien when it stopped being cute in the summer."

"Clem!"

"I'm not trying to be 'cute,' earth chimp. Your ignorance is something else."

"Yeah, buckteeth! If you wanna keep all two of your teeth, you better take it back!"

"Bobby, I said no."

"Um, guys, uh, l-let's put this behind us, a-and get back to the summoning ritual! We still have-oh, Milla! Hi!"

Crystal's high-pitched greeting quieted the commotion as Milla stepped over a few bare logs. She observed them, her lips pursed in a frown as Bobby quickly untangled his fist from the front of Clem's patched dark green jacket. Something shiny slipped from his hand, going unnoticed as he peered down at Chloe. He stuffed his hands back into his own jacket pockets, the fabric of the stained orange and white coat appearing very worn and threadbare. Glancing over to Chloe, she found her bundled head to toe in a light purple oversized winter coat as she sat on a log, making her appear bulkier in a way which made Milla want to hug her. Directing her attention back to Crystal, she found her dressed in her bubblegum pink jacket, which matched her skirt, socks, and boots, but she was more concered with the deep purple and velvet book tightly grasped in both of her hands.

"Darlings, what's going on? I heard quite a stir on my way over," Milla said, smiling and lacing her gloved fingers by her waist. She stared pointedly at Bobby when he narrowed his eyes at Clem.

"Bobby and I overheard Clem and Crystal discussing ghostly phenomenons and joined their discussion," Chloe said, glancing up at her taller cohort.

"Yeah, they were talkin' about summoning demons an' stuff," Bobby added, pointing to Crystal's book. "Ain't that right, boomerang hair?"

"Oh, yeah, totally!" she exclaimed, Clem glaring back at Bobby. Her head bobbed her head up and down, her ponytail wobbling with each bounce. "There's Gaap and Ronove and Zepar and Furfur, they're all so cool!" She rocked from side to side as she flipped open her book. "I mean, I don't have a favorite or anything. Any of them would have been great to meet for our project."

Milla felt the breeze brush her neck and shivered. Her eyes flicked down to Crystal's book, which was certainly the grimoire she mentioned. Its bubbly appearance contrasted what was supposedly demonic and ghostly information written within the pages. Considering she was banned from having sharp objects last year, Crystal owning a grimoire made alarm bells ring in Milla's head.

"And what kind of project is that, sweetie?" she asked, her voice level.

"Oh, it's nothing serious," Clem interjected, breaking into a bright smile. He patted Crystal's back. "It's for a school project. Crystal has to write a report on demons for her religious studies class. That's a mandatory subject at her school."

Crystal blinked but quickly said, "Uh, uh-huh! That's right! One hundred percent right."

Bobby rolled his eyes, jeering, "That's not what you said before. You said-"

"Bobby," Chloe interjected, tugging his jacket, "I think we can let this go. It'll only cause more strife if you agitate them."

Milla hummed, unsure of what to make of the situation as Bobby rubbed his arm, looking like a kicked dog at Chloe's reprimand. It was clear a conflict had brewed among them, but it seemed to have been settled. And she wasn't sure which way to take the conversation. A topic like summoning demons certainly was not appropriate for children, especially when they should have been having fun in the snow or relaxing with Quentin's homemade hot cocoa in the lodge.

"Oh! Do you know any other demons we can summon, Milla? You know, like Brazilian demons or something?" Crystal piped up, the question making the counselor's eyes widen.

"Uh, Crystal, maybe we should change the subject," Clem said, tapping her shoulder, "since Milla doesn't seem like the best person to ask that." He whispered something in her ear, and she nodded. Crystal rubbed her neck and apologized.

Milla smiled, relieved she wouldn't have to discuss something like that. The women back at the orphanage would have been grasping their metaphorical pearls if they heard any child mentioning demons.

"Well, what else were you four talking about? Chloe, I think said something like 'ghostly phenomenons?'" Milla asked, turning to the shortest child and setting her hands on her knees.

Chloe fiddled with the strings of her hood. "By that, I meant ghost stories such as the Headless Horseman or Bloody Mary. While ghosts aren't prevalent on my planet, it was interesting learning about them." She looked up at Bobby, adding, "There were also many legends about this camp Bobby was telling us about including the drowned spirits of the residents of Shaky Claim."

Milla frowned. That was not true in the slightest. The history of Whispering Rock was clearly written on the massive tree trunk in the parking lot. The remaining townsfolk of Shaky Claim were paid to leave, and then, their homes were flooded, becoming what was now Lake Oblongata.

"Bobby, are you spreading rumors again?" she asked, the tentative tone in her voice making Bobby grimaced.

"No. I'm sayin' some of 'em had to drown since they were crazy. All of those weirdos couldn't have escaped the flood, right?" Bobby bit his tongue when Milla tilted her head, one eyebrow neatly arched. He felt Chloe's gaze on him, her skepticism palpable along with the the cheerleaders eyeing him. One silent reprimand from Milla and his story was suddenly a tall tale. Biting his lower lip, he dug his heel into the nearby log, chipping off a piece of bark as Milla sighed.

"Dear, you know that isn't right. Everyone who lived in Shaky Claim left before it was flooded, so there's no chance of anyone drowning," Milla gently replied. "We talked about this, Bobby. No more spreading scary rumors, okay?"

"Yeah, Bobby, that's not cool," Clem added, amusement glinting in his eyes.

As Bobby glared at him and Chloe set her hand to his elbow, Crystal tapped the spine of her grimoire. She stared up at Milla, her eyes lighting up as a question popped up in her head. She hugged her grimoire to her chest, smiled, and asked, "If you don't know any demons, then do you know any ghost stories?"

Milla straightened and brushed her long hair back over her shoulders. She mulled over the question, her thoughts turning back to the orphanage. One of the teenage volunteers loved acting out ghost stories before the children's bedtime. She fondly remembered helping her set up puppet shows and cardboard stages to make the performance perfect, the young children mesmerized by one story in particular told around the holidays. Milla smiled, realizing it was also the perfect ghost story to tell as the wind whipped up around them, snowflakes spiraling by her head, and with Bobby around, she had a chance to gently teach him a lesson.

"Actually, I do know one. It's a bit of a re-imagining. An old friend of mine took a very unique spin on it," she said, gesturing for them to sit down. Tucking her knees in as she sat on a log, she grinned at Bobby and Chloe to her left and then to Clem and Crystal on the adjacent tree trunk. "Tell me, have you heard of _o homen do saco_?"

The four cadets exchanged glances. Crystal flipped through her grimoire to double check. When she reached the last page and shook her head, the other three looked back to Milla.

"In English, it means the Sack Man," Milla said, and Bobby puffed out a laugh. She raised her finger. "I know, it sounds silly and not very intimidating, but let me assure you that he is frightening."

"Sounds like a guy I'd meet back home," Clem mumbled under his breath. He grinned at Crystal as she rubbed a tense knot out of his spine.

Squaring her shoulders, Milla cleared her throat. "In a small village of only a few hundred, there was an affluent family. While the other villagers lived in cramped huts, this family stayed in a beautiful mansion with two stories, maids and butlers, and a giant brick chimney. There was the father, the mother, and the daughter, the apple of their eye, Isadora. She was a darling girl. Kind, generous, always sharing and caring. Just perfect."

She leaned back, resting her hands on the log. "Oh, but appearances can be very deceiving, no? When her parents were watching, she was as sugary sweet as candy and as pure as an angel." She lowered her voice. "But as soon as they looked away, her real self emerged. She stole from the other children even when they had nothing but the clothes on their back. She mocked and insulted them, calling them poor and pigs. She pulled their hair and shoved them in mud. Isadora could do all of this because she was protected by her parents' wealth. No one in the village dared to go against that family when they could be crushed by their power." Shaking her head, she clicked her tongue. "Even I wouldn't like to be around that girl."

"She sounds like Kitty," Bobby bluntly interjected.

"Exactly like Kitty," Chloe added.

"I saw Kitty shove Mirtala in the mud last week when it rained, so..." Clem said, trailing off and shrugging.

"And then she called her a pig and oinked at her," Crystal sadly finished, and they all slowly pulled their attention back to Milla.

Blinking, Milla raised her hand and tittered out a chuckle. "Well, um, any resemblance to Kitty wasn't intentional, and I'll be sure to talk with her about her behavior." She tugged at the hem of her coat. "Anyway, where was I? Oh, yes." Clearing her throat again, she gestured for them to listen, their interruption quickly forgotten.

"The holidays were rapidly approaching. Snow blanketed everything, and the villagers shivered in their homes. They ached and wept and huddled together, but they found warmth in the love they shared for each other," Milla said, clasping her hands together, and Bobby stuffed his finger down his throat. "But the same could not be said for Isadora. Her parents gave her everything she wanted that winter. All the beautiful clothes, all the toys and dolls, she had a mountain of presents waiting under the tree, but she still desired. It wasn't enough for her to have everything."

"But what else could she want?" Crystal asked, holding her grimoire tightly.

Milla patted her head. "Well, she wanted something that wasn't physical, darling. She wanted to ruin someone's holiday just to fill the hole in her heart."

"No!" Crystal gasped, Chloe's brows furrowing.

Bobby bit one of his fingernails clean off and spat it towards the campfire. "This story sucks. No one's died yet, and this chick sounds exactly like Kitty."

"You sure you aren't hearing any resemblance to yourself, Bobby?" Clem asked, smiling placidly.

"Now, now, boys," Milla said, holding up her hands as Bobby's lip curled, "it's only a story, and trust me, Bobby, I'm getting to the good part."

"Let's listen. It isn't good to interrupt, okay?" Chloe gently said, smiling when Bobby lowered his fist to his lap.

"On Christmas Eve, when the moon was the highest in the sky, Isadora tiptoed away from the safety of her parents' home. She had a plan to make one of her favorite targets cry her eyes out. Isadora was going to steal whatever presents she had in her home, and she knew there was nothing that family could do about it. That night, she sneaked inside that girl's hut and snatched the presents. There were only two of them, a little yawn doll and a stripped shawl her mother slaved away to make, so they were very easy for her to carry." Milla leaned forward, glancing among the children. "But when she returned to her mansion, there was a problem. All of the doors were locked, and the window she went through had been bolted shut after a maid noticed it was open. So, she was left all alone shivering in the cold, surrendered by darkness, presents tucked underneath her arms with only one choice remaining."

Milla pointed up. "The chimney was her only way of getting inside. She put the stolen presents on her doorstep to reclaim after she got in. Then, she started climbing up the storm drain on the side of the mansion. She climbed and climbed, her limbs growing sore as she worked her way up, and then, she reached the roof, which was covered in slippery snow."

She took a breath and held it, the cadets focusing all of their attention on her. "Isadora got to her knees and crawled over to the chimney. She bowed her head, gripping fistfuls of snow as the wind pelted her back." As if on a cue, the wind swept up around them, snow beating down on their shoulders and making Bobby cringe. "She crawled and crawled until her hand touched the side of the chimney. She gripped the bricks and looked up only to find the moon completely blotted out like a big ink stain covered it."

"'Completely?'" Crystal whispered, hugging herself. Clem patted her shoulder.

"And that was unnatural," Milla said, nodding at her. "There wasn't supposed to be an eclipse that night. Not even the storm clouds were dark enough for the moon to be fully hidden. Still, it was pitch black. No moon, no stars, not even the bright white snow could lighten up her world," Milla murmured, hunching forward, causing the children to lean towards her. "Then, she looked up and squinted and saw an outline against the darkness. It was bulbous, rounder than any human should have been, but when she looked closer, she saw that bulge...squirming, writhing." She wiggled her fingers, her smile stretching into her cheeks. "It took everything Isadora had to not scream right then and there."

Bobby shuddered, and Chloe's eyes widened. They swallowed, Bobby biting off another fingernail. Crystal rocked back and forth, her eyes sparkling in anticipation as Clem quietly regarded the story.

"It twitched and moaned. Soft crying came from it. Isadora couldn't understand what she was looking at until it stepped out from behind the chimney," Milla whispered. "Then, she saw him with his imposing height, taller than any man she had ever seen before. His cloak was bloody red and raggedy. His pale skin was engorged with red and blue veins, especially in his bony hands that reached closer and closer."

"'Who are you? What do you want with me?' Isadora cried, and she tried to run, but she slipped! She rolled down the roof and slipped right off without even a chance to scream. Isadora saw nothing but darkness, and then-" Milla clapped her hands together, sounding like a boom of thunder and startled the cadets, Bobby gulping back a yelp. "-the bag opened wide under her, and in she went, scooped up by the stranger and trapped with other children. She tried escaping, tried fighting through limbs of other wailing kids, but oh, Isadora was caught by the Sack Man and never heard from again. Nothing was left of her, and soon, she was forgotten by everyone." Milla smiled, the wide eyes of the children making her giggle. Looking at Bobby, she said, "After all, people remember kindness over cruelty."

The cadets shuddered from head to toe. Crystal pulled her hand from her mouth and rested it on her grimoire. Clem gripped the edge of the tree trunk, leaning back and sighing. Bobby's mouth fell open, his arms as stiff as planks of wood. Chloe raised her head, her helmet wobbling a bit despite her thick hood securing it, her eyes just as wide as when she heard Oleander's speech for the first time.

"Did-did she die? Suffocate or somethin'?" Bobby asked, picking off a few bits of bark from his log.

"Who's to say, darling? I'll leave that to you," Milla replied, crossing her ankles and winking at him.

Crystal blinked, her bright blue eyes sparkling. She opened to a clean page of her grimoire and pulled out a violet gel pen from her pocket. She scribbled down Milla's story, exclaiming, "Wow! That was super fucking scary! I sure hope I can summon someone like the Sack Man to make the bad people wish they were nicer!"

Milla sucked down a sharp breath, sounding as if she was gagging when she cried, "Crystal! Darling, language!"

"Me too! For your school project, of course!" Clem gushed, Crystal continuing to beam despite Milla's shock.

Chloe tapped the underside of her helmet. "That was...quite interesting. Most earthling ghost stories I've heard ended very violently, which is more proof why the Greater Galactic Community continues ignoring this rock." She nodded to herself. "It was refreshing hearing one with a reasonable moral and shock value that didn't rely on excessive gore." Brushing snow off her knees, Chloe got to her feet and said, "Thank you for telling that story, Agent Vodello. I appreciate your cooperation. I'll be going to log this event down now."

Milla chuckled, shaking off her concern for Clem and Crystal at Chloe's gratitude. "O-oh, you're welcome, dear. I'm happy I had such a captivated audience."

"It was okay. I mean, Chloe thought it was okay, so, whatever," Bobby said, shrugging and getting up as Chloe headed towards the path. He rolled his eyes as Milla smiled and waved them goodbye. Noticing Chloe was struggling with walking in the snow, her legs sinking in as if she was trapped in quicksand, he picked her up by her waist and stuffed her in his hair, leaving only her helmet visible as he walked through the trees.

"Thanks for the story, Milla, but we gotta get going. Got a lot of...writing to do," Clem announced, shaking snow out of his hair. Stretching his arms above his head, he sighed, and Crystal imitated him, her grimoire sitting on the log. He stepped over the tree trunk, Crystal following behind, and they both waved to Milla, leaving her on the log to collect her thoughts.

As the wind quieted around her, snowflakes danced in her vision. She watched them flutter and drift. She focused on a few that landed on her lap and melted into the fabric of her coat. Clipping her hair behind her ears, she blew out a breath, and as it fogged around her, she asked, "So, Sasha, what did you think about my story? Any criticism?"

Snow crunched underneath rubber black boots. She watched Sasha turn visible, his lab coat matching the snow around them. As pensive countenance etched on him, Sasha tugged on his gloves and sat down next to her.

"I believe Krampus is more vile, but it was appropriately frightening for the cadets," he said, pushing up his glasses. "I do agree with them that Isadora sounded eerily similar to Cadet Bubai."

"I'm telling you, that was simply a coincidence." Milla touched his shoulder and leaned closer. "Oh, you should have joined us. I'm sure they would have loved hearing about Krampus."

"And listen to Cadet Zilch criticize everything I say and claim I'm copying you despite the cultural differences in our stories?" Sasha brushed through his bangs. "No, thank you."

Laughing, Milla combed through her hair. She glanced at him up and down, his outfit improper for the winter weather. Although he had certainly been listening the entire time, he must have been cold with such an unsuitable attire, and one look at his face confirmed it. He was paler than usual, his green skin a lighter tint. Milla draped her arm around his squared shoulders, Sasha making no move to resist her.

"Sasha, what have I told you about walking around in that outfit at this time of year?" she scolded, mild and playful.

"That I look like a mad scientist in it whenever I'm not in my lab," he replied, a hint of a smirk playing on his lips.

"No," she crooned, "that you look very, very cold and need to be warmed up."

She tilted her head and leaned forward. Closing her eyes, she pressed her lips against Sasha's. Kneading his shoulders, she hummed, smiling into the kiss, but she blinked as he suddenly pulled back, his glasses lopsided and revealing his beady eyes. Following his gaze, her cheeks darkened as if she was wearing a particularly red rouge.

Crystal hunched over the tree trunk where she once sat, her hand outstretched. Clem stood behind her, his mouth hanging open. On the opposite side was Bobby crouching over a log and holding a psitanium shank, Chloe still perched in his hair. The cadets swapped looks, each of them baffled by what they had witnessed, and Crystal slowly bent forward, grabbing her grimoire from the snow, the sight of it only making Milla blush even hotter.

"Um, uh, I, uh, forgot I left this behind," Crystal replied, itching her neck.

"Y-yeah, same here with this," Bobby said, but before he could pocket his shank, Sasha telekinetically plucked it from him. Scowling, he snapped, "Aw, come on! Snagrash gets her weird book, but I can't have a shank?"

"This isn't juvie, Cadet Zilch," Sasha deadpanned, the blood in his face burning him.

"Well, uh, we should all get going again. Have fun with your...alone time," Clem said, turning away with Crystal.

"Wow! I can't believe we caught them kissing!" Crystal exclaimed as they skipped through the trees.

"Oh, yeah, totally! That took like two or three years for them to finally get together!"

"That's almost prudish!"

"Sure is, Crystal!"

As Bobby pivoted on his heels and headed back to the path, Chloe asked, "Earthlings are sneaky with their romantic pursuits. Wouldn't you agree, Bobby?"

"Yeah, but this means I won the bet with Kitty," he said, smirking.

"What was the bet?"

"That Sasha and Milla would finally hook up this year, and she said they wouldn't while I said they would, and now, I get all of her arrowheads."

"A risky bet, but it paid out for you in the end. I suppose that's what matters to you."

Bobby punched the air. "Hell yeah it is! And I get to rub it in her stupid clown face!"

Chloe sighed and shook her head. "Oh, Bobby, we still need to work on you a little."

As the children parted ways, Sasha buried his face in his hands. He pinched his brow, wishing he could have unheard everything from the last minute. Breathing in deeply through his nose, he peered over at Milla through his fingers.

Milla chuckled, the rosy hint in her cheeks fading. She twirled a lock of hair between her fingers and asked, "Well, now that they're gone, want to get back to business?"

Sasha fixed his glasses, cleared his throat, and said, "Yes, I would appreciate that."

Later on, Milla ripped down a note from the bulletin board which read, "At the campfire, Milla was warm for Sasha's form."


End file.
